Restraining wall decking



Sept. 4, 1951 R. H. RINGROSE RESTRAINING WALL DECKING 6 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 5, 1946 Sept. 4, 1951 R. H. RINGROSE RESTRAINING WALL DECKING6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1946 luv 6221301 121111 1 92 06a Q Sept.4, 1951 R. H. RINGROSE RESTRAINING WALL DECKING 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledAug. 5, 1946 J l- 36 17 II /2 a m In L 812/101 .1112 b 12/ P086 ,n j

days.

Sept. 4, 1951 R. H. RINGROSE RESTRAINING WALL DECKING 6 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed Aug. 5, 1946 p 1951 R. H. RINGROSE 2,566,748

RESTRAINING WALL DECKING Filed Aug. 5, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 5llzz/v-fin'z op J3 1:1...Bbn 2 al I 6 Patented Sept. 4, 1951 STATESPATENT OFFICE Australia Application August 5, 1946, Serial No. 688,469

"1* "In Australia May 22, 1946 14 Claims.

1 Thisinventionrelates todeckings for restrain; wa ame1r. th se wallswhi are s ne to, withstand a distributed load applied to one side facethereof. While the invention is applicablein a general way to deckingsfor restrain ing Walls of all kinds, such as. side walls forsilos, bins,and other containers, and the like; itis mainly intended for restrainingwalls in which thef'distributed load on one face of the decking is ahydrostatic load. Examples of such hydrostatically loaded deckings arethose of dams for rivers and streams, and side walls for reservoirs andthe like. In short, the invention is particularly directed to theprovision of deckingsfo'rl small scale dam constructions but is not,limited? thereto.

restraining-wall used to hold back any materiall'gene'rally consists oftwo main parts; firstly the decking whichisin contact with thesupportednijaterial and is required'to be impervious on substantiallyimpervious thereto. and, secondly, abuttress assembly to, hold thedecking in re: quired position. For example, a rock-fill dam ischaracterized by the placement of'a rock or other mass to form anembankment or buttress support and watertightness is obtained by an im-,perviou membrane'pndeck ing which is borne bylsaidbuttr'ess support andis connected to a icutsoff wall extendin into i the foundation a rial.An. a th. am s, simi a y. onstruc d exce t t atea b s us for thexbu essa A; ibut ess am. haracter ed by b tt s generally of con and a watersupporting ire arrie s mis th bu Qi th s, in enti to pro-. M rans t ngand im er us e king tar Kes r as a l c ns r t n hi h s sta cal ydtermin. ta n s able to tra mi the. has inirqse fierecn t th m 5mm" 8element wh e a th ame m being sufilciently'fl xi e tc' a l e em t orother mo merits ofthe wall without impairing ithstan ng ability and itsimperviousnie'ss; i adven e t5 h sen invention is that the deck subjectthereof may be easily d downw dlyinto a river'bed or the like f Wal orree a e r th ug i e. st u t e invention is the provin ne a const i n i whch the aucgaxm elements are capable of lateral is t k e ds o e l .31 tothe' t ress assembl ma e atices a i th e rtrir a st ll fur htbbiew c thein en o is t p i a ter itres-train n wall de k ng s'truct qii which mabe b i up e s l a h p f m le e gd ced e ements or sections substantiallyirrespective of the size and shape of the required decking.

The present invention may be shortly summarised in terms or a preferredembodiment thereof, as consisting in a restraining wall decking composedof a plurality of bolsters able to rest uprightly against a buttressassembly without restraint against'lateral movability relative thereto,a plurality of deck face panels having side portions able to seat uponsaid bolsters, and means for sealing the adjacent side portions ofneighbouring pairs of panels.

Examples of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a small-scale perspective view of a restraining wallconstruction incorporating a structurally built-up buttress assembly.

Figure 1A is a similar view to Figure 1 showing a restraining wallconstruction incorporating a rock-fill (or earth-fill);buttress'assembly.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the'construction shown in Figure '1:

Figure 3'is an incomplete plan projected from Figure 2. i

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views taken" on lines 4- 4 and55 respectively in Figure 3.

Figures 6, '7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary views (similar to Figure 4)showingfsligntly modified arrangements. T

Figures 10 and 1 1 are incqmplete sectional elevations showing methodsof joining between deck panel components.

Figures 12 and 13 are fragmentary iews (similar to Figure l) showingslightly modified arrangements.

As previously stated herein, a restraining wall decking requires to besupported uprightly by a buttress assembly. The term uprightly is notused herein in the limited sense or indicating vertica ly uprightdisposition of the decking, because deckings according hereto may bedisposed with the deck face making an angle with the horizontal of fromdown to about 45 or even less. Thus the term uprightly is used herein asindicating a deck face having a substantial inclination from thehorizontal, or in other words, a wall face whereof the angulardisposition includes a vertically upright component relative tohorizontal.

An essentiality in'the erection or insta lation of a decking accordinghereto is the provision of a buttress assembly to provide the necessarybacking or support for the decking. *The buttress assembly may be orknown and conventional form or design; for example, it may consist of aplurality of buttress members each built as a structural steel truss, orof a plurality of solid concrete buttress members; or merely of a hilledup mass of rock, earth or the like as shown in Figure 1A.

In Figures 1 and '2 to 5 there is shown one simple form of built-upbuttress assembly. This assembly consists of a plurality of buttressmembers each being a roughly triangular frame composed of bearers H,struts l2, ties l3 and stays M. The buttress members are conventionallyadapted for stationary erection on the site. In the illustratedarrangement, the lower ends of the bearers I l are simply deeplyembedded in the earth and the lower ends of the struts l2 are embeddedor socketed in a concrete base member l5. It will be appreciated thatthe construetional details of the deck supporting buttress assembly maybe varied considerably (according to requirements of the site and thenature of structural materials readily available in the site vicinity),provided it consists of a stationary structure having a frontal bearerface, such as that constituted by the bearers l 1, against which thebolsters forming part of the decking structure may rest uprightly andwithout restraint against lateral movability relative to the buttressassembly. The illustrated forms of buttress assemblies are suitable forsmall scale dams in which timber logs or rock or earth filling arereadily available in the site vicinity. The Figure l buttress assemblyis also a type which, once the several members have been shaped anddrilled or otherwise conditioned, may be readily erected on the site bybolting or other clamping together of the various parts.

The several buttress members are preferably cross-tied by brace memberssuch as 16. The bearer faces of the buttress members constitute aseating for bolsters l1. These bolsters are not fixed in any way to thebuttress members and, therefore, are capable of lateral movementrelative thereto. The bolsters constitute seatings for the side orlongitudinal edge portions of decking panels indicated generally by I 8.Each panel may consist of a single slab or sheet or of a plurality ofslab'elements it) which are assembled together to constitute a panelwith their meeting ends sealed with concrete, bitumen or other sealingmaterial. One form in which these ends may be sealed is shown in Figure10. Referring to that figure, the upper end of each element is is formedas a channel socket by provision of walls and 2|. The lower end of eachelement l9 has a tongue 22 able to enter the channel socket and leavespace 23 within which sealing, packing or caulking material may beplaced by pouring, tamping or the like. If the sealing medium is ofcompressible or plastic nature it may be compressed or squeezed tightlyinto the Joint by means of cover plates 24 and bolts and nuts 25. Wherea panel such as i8 is made up of elements such as IS the edge portionsare of course applied to theengaging joint portions after as semblythereof in order to make the side portions continuous from top to bottomof the panel.

The adjacent longitudinal edge portions of side beads 26 of eachneighbouring pair of panels preferably abut one against the other asshown at 21 in Figure 5, thus ensuring that all lateral forces aretransmitted from panel to panel. The lateral movability of the bolstersll relative to the bearers ll ensures that the only forces imposed onthe buttress assembly are directed thereon truly normal to the bearersurfaces thereof.

The surfaces meeting at 21 are preferably rounded, as shown, in orderthat good rolling contact may be established notwithstand slightmisaligmnent of the buttress members, A l

the points of contact the edge portions may be reinforced with metal orotherwise to. meet the stress concentration at that point. The bolstersI! may be provided with cradle grooves 28 for the reception of the sidebeads 26. Said bolsters may be made (for example) of timber, reinforcedconcrete or metal.

Means for sealing the side portions of the panels may take variousforms. For preference these means consist, or primarily consist inproviding the beads 26 with stepped portions as at 29 so as to provide apacking space 38. Space 3!) may be filled or tamped with anyconventional packing or sealing material but preferably it is providedwith a grummet 3| which extends for the full length of the panel sidejoint. The grum met may be made of rubber or other sealing medium and itincorporates a rod 32 which extends throughout the length of thegrummet. The rod 32 has a plurality of studs 33 fixed thereto. Theseextend through slots in the bead sides and holes gasket strips 31 andbolt pressure is spread along the plates by inflexible clamping strips38. The cover plates 34 have one or more longitudinal corrugations suchas 39 or other provision therein to provide for lateral flexibility,

Thejoint shown in Figure 6 is substantially the same as that shown inFigures 4 and 5 with the exception that a rod such as 32 (Figures 4 and5) is replaced by a tube 40 havingfeed-holes 4i therein. With thisarrangement the space 30A may be tightly packed with hemp or the likeand then permeated (or from time to time reper-' meated) with tar,pitch, bitumen, tallow, grease or other fluid or semifiuid imperviatingmaterial fed thereto under pressure through the tube 40 and holes 4|. Tofacilitate this feeding the upper end of the tube 46 may be fashioned asa nipple or union, with or without a non-return valve therein, to whicha grease-gun or other force feed device may be applied.

The panels, or the constituent sections or elements [9 thereof,illustrated by Figures 1 to 6,

are made of concrete preferably reinforced in conventional manner. Thepanels or elements may, however, consist of plain or corrugated orfluted metal plates 42 (Figure '7) having their side edges embedded inside beads 43. Figure 7 also illustrates a slightly modified bolster44from which cradle grooves (such as 23Figure 4 have been omitted; thejoint bolts 46 being relied on to maintain required disposition of thebeads 43 in Loose bolts 52 may be.

relation to the bolster 44. provided to hold the panels together. Thegrum-, met rod 45 (which may be a solid rod such as 32, in Figure 4, aholed tube such as 40 in Figure 6, or a plain tube as shown) has thejoint bolts 46 and additional bolts 4'! anchored thereto. These boltsmay be anchored to the rod 45 by being welded thereto, or if said rod istubular it may be furnished with key-hole slots which enable the boltheads to be entered thereinto. In this arrangement the grummet 37Aisadapted to seat against the side surfaces 48 which partly define thespace 36A. The additionalbolts 4'! carry ead s e d to e g ammar 31Panels: such as 42* may e madegirozn sing-1e.- sheetsof: plate metalortheymay'be; mad rrom, a plurality of sheet. elements. It a pluralityof ele-. ments are employed they may be joined together by welding; orotherwise. For example, they may be joined as shown in Figure 10,, inwhich two elements IJQA arelapped and bolted-together with a. gasket 50.therebetween. Where. a panel, such as 42. is made up of elements such,as 18A,, the beads; 43; are, of course, applied to, the lapping jointportions after assembly thereof, inordertto.

malts the beads continuous from bottom totop of, thepanel.

Figure 8 illustrates slightly modified means for sealing and abuttingside edges of a pair of panels. This; construction, to some, extent,incorporates features of the two forms shown in Figures 4 and 7, in thatit includes a bolster 44A which is similar to,.tha,t numbered, 54 inFigure 7 buthas hallow cradle grooves 28A therein. Again, the grung -.1met type sealing devices 51 are substantially similar to those shown inFigure 7, with the main exception; that the grummet, is in two strips.53. held in shoes. 54 mounted on a grummet rod 45A furnished with jointbolts itA. The shoes 54 may be of; channel cross-sectional shape asshow-n, or they may be of semi-circular or other cross-sectional shape.The pull of the joint bolts 46A is preferably resiliently appliedthrough springs suchas 55..

Figure 9 shows a modification of the grummet type sealing devices. Theseare substantially the same as those shown in Figure 8 in comprising twogrummet strips 53A, shoes 54A and a grummet rod can. The rod 453 in thisarrangement is loaded by compression spring 55A bearing against a bridgeplat 56, and is capable of load adjustment by operation of loading bolt51 threaded in the bridge plate 56 which is free to move in holes 58 inside portions 26A. This arrangement is particularly useful where it isrequired to set or adjust the grummet loading from the front of therestraining Wall instead of from the back as is necessary with thearrangement shown in Figure 8.

It will be appreciated that by the use of cradle grooves in the bolstersit is not essential for the panel beads to abut one against the other,as, with such grooves present, panel side thrusts may be transmittedfrom one panel to another per medium of the grooved bolster. The widthof the bolster may in fact be made as wide as required for stability ofthe buttress assembly as shown in Figure 12, where a bolster 59laterally movable relative to a buttress assembly (50) accommo dates theadjacent side portions 6| in a pair of cradle grooves 62, and sealing ofportions BI is effected as indicated (for example) at 63.

Although the panels may be flat between the side beads thereof, theconcrete panels are preferably arched or convex in the direction of loadpressure as shown in Figures 1 to 6 and 8 of the drawings, and the platepanels are preferably similarly arched or convex, as well as preferablybeing corrugated as shown in Figures 7 and 10. For circular reservoirsthe panels may be concave in the direction of load pressure as indicatedat 64 in Figure 13, thus causing them to be in tension. With thisarrangement a buttress assembly as previously described herein may beemployed to support the bolsters (65). Alternatively the bolsters 55 maybe extended upwardly beyond the tops of the panels, and the buttressassembly therefor may then consist of radial tie rods connected to apost in the centre of the reservoir, and

. qiemstriseltie rice y oem te bodiment of. h int tion arer ei vd rectedto a dam construction. However, the invention generally applicable for;use in restraining wall construct for ample, the; pa e may be. stQQd.vertically upright (instead of inclined as. hown). for the uildin of, a?y in r cal: r e ensu ar s lo or-water holdinef' s lga n. the wall panelsmaybe wedge shaped to. enable cont-.- cal retaining walls to be builttherewith.

What I. claim, is:

1 A restraining wall; comprising a plurality oi bolsters, a buttressassembly for supporting said bolsters uprightly and; without restraintagainst, lateral movability thereof, a plurality of inflexible panelshavin ide por on ll sea d upon said bolsters, and resilient means forseals the adja ent side po tio f a h nei hbou ing pair of said panels.

restr inin wall comprising a plur i y of. bolsters, a buttress assemblyfor supportin said bolsters uprightly and Without restraint; againstlateral moi ability thereof, a plurality of inflex ible. panels havingside. portions rollably seated upon said bolsters with the adjacentside, portions of each neighbouring pair ofside; panels in abutment, andresilient means, for sealing said abutting side portions.

3. A restraining wall comprising a plurality of bolsters having cradlegrooves formed therein, a buttress assembly for supporting said bolstersuprightly and without restraint against lateral movability thereof, aplurality of inflexible panels having rounded side beads rollably seatedin said cradle grooves, and resilient means for sealing the adjacentside portions of each neighbouring pair of said panels.

4. A restraining wall comprising a plurality of bolsters having cradlegrooves formed therein, a buttress assembly for supporting said bolstersuprightly and without restraint against lateral movability thereof, aplurality of inflexible panels having rounded side beads rollably seatedin said cradle grooves with the adjacent side beads of each neighbouringpair of said panels in abutment, and resilient means for sealing saidabutting side portions.

5. A restraining wall comprising a plurality of bolsters, a buttressassembly for supporting said bolsters uprightly and without restraintagainst lateral movability thereof, a plurality of inflexible panelshaving side beads rollably seated upon said bolsters and havinglongitudinal steps in said beads to form packing spaces between saidbeads, and grummet sealing means in said packing spaces.

6. A restraining wall comprising a plurality of bolsters, a buttressassembly for supporting said bolsters uprightly and without restraintagainst lateral movability thereof, a plurality of inflexible panelshaving side beads rollably seated upon said bolsters, seatings formed onsaid beads, flexible cover plates which rest on neighbouring pairs ofsaid seatings, means for liquid-tightly clamping said cover plates onsaid neighbouring seatings, steps in said beads to form packing spacestherein, and grummet sealing means disposed in said packing spaces.

'7. A restraining wall according to claim 3 wherein said panels havesaid beads moulded integrally therewith.

8. A restraining wall according to claim 3 of elements and means forsealing the meeting ends of said elements comprising channel sockets onthe upper ends of said elements and tongues on'the lower ends of saidelements.

11. A restraining wall according to claim 3 wherein each of said panelsconsists of a plurality of plate elements having their side edgesembedded in said beads and means for sealing the meeting ends of saidelements comprising overlapping portions of said elements and devicesfor clamping said overlapping portions together with a gaskettherebetween.

12. A restraining wall according to claim 5 wherein said grummet sealingmeans each' comprise a grummet and means for compressing said grummetwithin its said packing space.

13. A restraining wall according to claim 5 wherein said grummet sealingmeans each comgrummet rod whereon said shoes are mounted,

joint bolts which pass through said grummet rod and said bolster andsprings which resiliently bear on said grummet rod sleeved on saidjointbolts.

14. A decking according to claim 5 wherein said grummet sealing meanseach comprise a grummet and means for compressing it within its saidpacking space comprising a pair of grummet strips, shoes to hold saidstrips, a grummet rod whereon said shoes are mounted, compressionsprings able to bear against said grummet rod, loading bolts for saidsprings and bridge plates for supporting said loading bolts in relationto said panel beads.

ROBERT HALL RINGROSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

